Epos – Glasses for all time

The homage to the place of its creation is obvious from the name: Epos Milano owes a lot to the city which is symbolic of fashion, elegance and dynamism

words Monica Codegoni Bessi

There is a lot of talk about Millennials, the famous generation Y composed of people born between 1980 and 1999 that is literally dominating the current era, dictating tastes and consequently market trends. They are young and they are growing in number. They have a whole new vision of life and work, encapsulated by the word ‘sharing’, and also have their own tastes. They do not necessarily want to be able to stand out (from adults) in terms of style. In the past, the profound difference in clothing between generations (casual VS. sartorial, to put it briefly) was a way to emphasise belonging to different eras, but this is no longer the case. On the contrary, retro moods and vintage spirits are also winning over younger consumers. Epos Milano is well aware of this epochal change in generational taste, to which it owes (part) of its fortune. One particular shape, the ‘Pantos’, characterised by round lines, has long been beloved by professional forty and fifty year-olds, such as architects and clerks and about five years ago it began to become popular among teenagers as well, precisely because of its nod to the past. This was a momentous change for the brand: the ideal customers were no longer just adults, but also young men. These young men have increasing social power and also purchasing power. They are now dictating the laws of the market with their tastes that, which are no longer in sharp opposition with those of their fathers or older brothers.

Epos Milano owes the stroke of luck that came with the ‘Pantos’ shape to their ability to dictate trends instead of following them. Luca Lavezzari, who founded the company together with his partners Riccardo and Stefania Mantovani, told us: “At that time, the shape dictated by the law of style was rectangular. It was an act of courage to offer an image linked to the years from the beginning of the century and a difficult choice, but we were proved right. Today our models are worn by people of all ages and also by many showbiz personalities.” Can you give us a few names? “The singers Samuele Bersani and Francesco Sarcina, the director Gabriele Salvatores, the critic Philippe Daverio, actors like Diego Abatantuono, Luca Zingaretti and Fabrizio Bentivoglio.” Since 2003, the year of its creation, well-reasoned strategic moves and entrepreneurial actions governed by prudence mean that they can now celebrate their first 15 years in business. Their reference markets are Italy, France and Spain, but they also have a strong presence in Spain, England, New Zealand, Scandinavia and Iceland. In addition to the new edition of Mido, where Epos Milano will be present with fourteen new models, the next challenge will be the American market. “Of course there is a desire to expand,” continued Lavezzari, “but we prefer not to bite off more than we can chew. As a small family business without managers and external funding, our aim is now to consolidate the brand and maintain the current, excellent levels of growth.” There is just one mantra for each new collection: to focus on an elegant and timeless aesthetic philosophy, which nods to the past but at the same time looks carefully at the latest trends. This is what brought about the success of the wide variety of spotted and tortoise-shell models and patterns, which boast sophisticated high quality materials, such as the best plastics and metal combined with refined workings. They range from the simplest to the most complicated, but always maintain a focus on staying lightweight. The top models? ‘Proxima’, with a futuristic soul applied to a retro style and ‘Eposquare’, with a square shape enriched by rivets and a zip.